This article is a review of METALLICA THROUGH THE NEVER.

“Exit light Enter night Take my hand We're off to never never-land,” lyrics from ‘Enter Sandman’ What an opening shot! It has that vertigo-inducing DARK KNIGHT beginning. In one take we move high above a city, circle a roofed stadium and descend to the car park as the first concertgoer arrives. Then a skateboarder glides into view, falls, picks himself up and carries on. He’s Trip (Dane DeHaan – CHRONICLE, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES), a roadie for super-group Metallica. A monumental gig is going down tonight. As Trip wends his way backstage through the complex, we are stylishly introduced to the band: - James Hetfield (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) is driving a souped-up muscle car. - Kirk Hammett (lead guitar, backing vocals) has a guitar dripping, with what looks to be blood, all over the concrete. - Robert Trujillo (bass, backing vocals) is heard before seen. The foundations are vibrating under the sonic boom of his sound check. - Lars Ulrich (drums, percussion) walks by exuding presence, eyeballing Trip.

An unorthodox introduction to what is essentially a concert film. They can look spectacular on the silver screen – see Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones take, SHINE A LIGHT, or U2 3D. The lack of reality to proceedings is only going to increase exponentially. Nimród Antal (PREDATORS, KONTROLL) was a wise choice to try and shake up the genre. THROUGH THE NEVER looks to be reaching out beyond fans, by having a narrative intercut with the grand gig going on in the building. Trip is sent on a mysterious mission. Interrupted from the reverie of the music, he is required to get across the city and pick up something Metallica needs. There is definitely the desire to show off, in a good way. From the time-lapse crowd arrival to a slow-mo car crash, resources are marshalled to wow. The story in Metallica’s most celebrated song, ‘Enter Sandman’ seems to be the foundation for the film. A nightmarish world greets Trip. The roads and pavements are empty. Then riots begin. People have homicidally lost their minds. Citizens are seen hanging from various locales. Concert flick as apocalypse movie. The band performs on a stage most musicians would dream of; the production design takes in: War recreation, a giant statue of justice, blood digitally pouring along the floor, etc. Macabre is the watchword. The whole thing could be a riff on Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ – an alternate world existing in physics or dreams or both. As concert film, fans of Metallica will love. As twist on a concert film, the narrative element had potential but was undernourished. (Oh yeah, and one wouldn’t have minded them playing ‘I Disappear’; for me, their best song.)